Planting of Friendship
by patrickthenobleman
Summary: I couldn't get the idea of out my head and just went with it. Set during Gotham's timeline when Bruce and Clark are around the same age.


_**Planting of Friendship**_

**I own nothing, **_**Superman**_** (created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster) and **_**Batman**_** (created by Bob Kane) are the property of DC comics, this is just a love letter to their wonderful work, do not give me money.  
>All hail DC and may their upcoming universe triumph.<strong>

He didn't want to leave Gotham, there was still so much unfinished, and for all he knew the very second he left Detective Gordon might have found new evidence on the man with the shiny shoes, but Alfred believed that Bruce needed time out of Gotham. As much as Bruce wanted to argue with the middle-aged butler he had a feeling he would not win in that argument.  
>"Are we there yet?" he asked Alfred from the back of the car.<br>"Almost sir," said Alfred.  
>"Where did you say we would be staying again?" asked Bruce.<br>"We'll be staying on a farm Master Wayne," said Alfred. "It belongs to a friend I made back when I was stationed overseas during the war. I was part of a special unit that was offering strategic aid to the Yanks and this particular bloke I found to be especially…well to be frank, honest, and his honesty tended to get under my collar some time. Though when the enemy was at the gates he and I, despite our differences, like night and day we were, we fought like devils."  
>"What's his name?" asked Bruce, slightly intrigued.<br>"Kent, Jonathan Kent," said Alfred. "He's married now and actually has a boy who should be about your age. I don't know what he's like but I'm sure he'll make more civil company than young Miss Kyle."

* * *

><p>As Alfred pulled up to the Kent farm, Bruce was a little surprised about how big and yet how small it had seemed, but he believed that was the reason why the town the Farm resided in was called Smallville. It was such a stark contrast to the massive city of Gotham but Bruce didn't consider it a bad thing. He was raised to believe that the true quality of people was not how much money they had but how much character and his late father, Thomas, who always considered himself a simple family doctor, had as much character as he did money and Bruce wanted to do the same.<br>His attention was brought out of space when Alfred opened the door for him and when he got out of the car he was suddenly hit with the whiff of manure, plants, trees, and pollen, which actually smelled better than the constant car exhaust of Gotham.  
>"Hits you like a bull doesn't it?" asked Alfred as a couple exited the farm house.<br>The man was tall and well-built with a few streaks of grey in his hair and even though he was still a fair distance from him, Bruce could see that in his eyes was the same amount of experience and wisdom and unease and fear that he had seen in Alfred's eyes. It was as if even though he was someone seasoned and wise he had suddenly been given something that none of his past experience could prepare him for. He wondered if it had anything to do with the boy Alfred said he had.  
>"Jonathan," said Alfred, extending his hand.<br>"Alfred," said Johnathan, grasping his extended hand. "It's good to see you again."  
>"You as well," said Alfred, "and you ma'am must be the lovely Martha?"<br>"I am," said Martha, taking Alfred's hand.  
>When he heard the sound of her name, the same name that his mother had, sent an arrow into Bruce's heart but he made sure to cover that up with a nervous smile. The woman who shared his mother's first name was just as lovely as his own mother, although she had flowing shoulder length red hair instead of his mother's chopped ebony black, and her eyes were green instead of hazel. However she had the same kind and patient expression that only a mother could have.<br>"And you must be Bruce," he heard Jonathan's strong voice say, bringing him out of his thoughts.  
>"Yes sir," said Bruce, respectfully. "Your farm is very nice."<br>"Thank you Bruce," said Jonathan, "though I hope you don't mind getting your hands a little dirty."  
>"Not at all sir," said Bruce.<br>"No slackers under my care, I believe you remember that from our military days Jonathan," said Alfred.  
>"Along with your kissing up to authority," said Jonathan.<br>"That's enough both of you," said Martha before turning her attention to Bruce. "It's a long trip from Gotham to Smallville, I bet you'd like to rest up a bit?"  
>"Thank you Mrs. Kent but I'm alright," said Bruce.<br>"Alright then," said Martha. "Oh, we have a son, his name is Clark and he's about your age, you even look a little like him. He's in the barn if you'd like to meet him."  
>"What's he like?" asked Bruce.<br>Martha smiled nervously, as Bruce noticed, and rubbed her hands together as if there were some secret or shame that she had for her son. He only heard love for Clark in her voice so he deduced it was the former, there was nothing about Clark she was ashamed of, but clearly there was a secret.  
>"He's very nice but a little strong for his age," said Martha.<br>"Product of hard work, great love, and good food I'd imagine," said Alfred.  
>"Anyway if you want to play be a little careful," said Martha. "He has trouble holding back sometimes."<br>"I'm sure it'll be fine," said Bruce. "I exercise a lot so I'm pretty strong too."  
>He had Alfred run him through every day for three hours for the past month, at his request, to make sure he was in top shape. He wanted to be faster and stronger than he had been before, to never be small and weak like he was in the alley.<br>"Why don't you go find the young Master Kent, Bruce? If my nose doesn't deceive me, Mrs. Kent has been preparing a lovely lunch for us," said Alfred.  
>"Jonathan said you were perceptive," laughed Martha.<br>Alfred chuckled lightly and Bruce went off to the barn. As he walked on he saw the door to the storm cellar had been locked tightly by a chain and wondered why that was given Kansas's reputation for tornados, it seemed illogical to lock the only shelter they'd have from the outside in fair weather.  
>He pondered the small mystery until he came into the barn and looked up at the loft where light was coming through the open window. In the light he could see the shape of a boy about his age.<br>"Hello?" asked Bruce.  
>"Hi," said the boy as he moved away from the sun, allowing Bruce to see him better.<br>Martha Kent has not been too wrong when she said Bruce and her son Clark looked alike, however Bruce didn't see in Clark's eyes what he saw in his every time he looked in the mirror. He didn't see the pain and sleeplessness that was caused by losing the only parents he ever had but Bruce could see that Clark shared no physical characteristics that he would have inherited from either of his parents. This lead Bruce to come to the conclusion that Clark Kent was adopted and as he squinted to focus his eyes at Clark, who stood above him in silence, he could see his eyes and could have sworn he saw a hint of red, but that might have been a trick of the sun, and he could see something that there was a hint of loneliness in his eyes, much like Bruce's.  
>"I'm Bruce Wayne," said Bruce, introducing himself.<br>"Clark Kent," said Clark.  
>Bruce walked up the loft and as he did he got a better look at Clark, more correctly, what he was wearing, blue jeans and a blue shirt with red shoes and a red coat, a lively and unique style if any Bruce had ever seen. His own clothes were a mix of grey and black. He also noticed the telescope the stood at the window and found a jumping off point for conversation.<br>"That's a nice telescope," said Bruce, "do you…like to look at the stars."  
>"Yeah," said Clark, nervously, "do you?"<br>"We don't usually get to see the stars in Gotham," said Bruce. "All the lights are in the city."  
>"When it gets dark you can use it if you want," said Clark. "It's really great, we might not have much, but the view is great."<br>"Thanks," said Bruce.  
>"No problem," said Clark. "So, are you and your dad staying long?"<br>"Alfred's not my dad," said Bruce. "My dad…he's dead and so is my mom."  
>Bruce saw the flash of shame that ran through Clark's eyes and he tried to give a look that showed that he wasn't angry at Clark, which he wasn't.<br>"I'm sorry," said Clark.  
>"It's okay," said Bruce. "I have Alfred and he takes good care of me."<br>"My parents take care of me too," said Clark. "I was adopted when I was really young. I don't know if my birth parents are even alive."  
>"I'm sorry," said Bruce.<br>The air of awkwardness between the two boys was so thick it could have been cut with a knife and both immediately looked for something else to try and talk about and both their eyes landed on the newspaper on the old couch that resided in the loft.  
>"You read <em>The Daily Planet<em>?" asked Bruce.  
>"Yeah, my dad and I think it's the best newspaper ever," said Clark. "It's the most honest and I actually want to be a journalist and I don't just read the comics. The stories are really good and Perry White's a good writer. Do you read the <em>Planet<em>?"  
>"Actually I read the <em>Gotham Gazette<em>," said Bruce. "I like the stories too."  
>"Cool," said Clark.<br>Bruce tried to think of another conversation starter when he saw Clark reach for a nearby football.  
>"Do you want to play?" he asked.<br>"Sure," said Bruce.  
>"Then you might need a few pads," said Clark. "I…I'm pretty strong for my age. I have a set of pads that I think could fit you."<br>"Alright," said Bruce. "But do you have your own pads?"  
>"Like I said I'm pretty strong," said Clark. "I don't usually have to worry about getting hurt."<p>

* * *

><p>Bruce originally had been uneasy about playing with Clark, mostly because he had very little interactions with other children his age besides Selina Kyle, but as soon as he and Clark clashed in the game Bruce felt a rush like he never felt before. Clark was strong for his age, stronger than Bruce thought he would be, and definitely faster. He could tell that Clark was holding back even if he had the disadvantage of not being padded up like Bruce was and even though he was more protected he still felt the rough impact when he tried to tackle Clark. It wasn't until his heart got racing Bruce decided that he needed to try things differently.<br>Even though Clark was faster and stronger, Bruce was able to use that to his advantage and by using some of the judo techniques that Alfred had tutored him in he was able to shake Clark off of him whenever he got close to him. Eventually both boys were to tuckered to continue on and they joined the adults for supper.  
>After they finished and it began to get late Clark and Bruce went back to the loft and true to his word Clark allowed Bruce to make use of his telescope and he got to see the constellations he never could while in Gotham.<br>"So what's it like here in Smallville?" asked Bruce.  
>"It's alright," said Clark. "There isn't as much as in the city but we've got a good public library, the <em>Talon<em> Theater has the best popcorn, and _LuthorCorp _is working out some deal to build a fertilizer plant with the Ross family at least that's what my friend Pete says and my other friend Chloe is always dragging us to find 'weird' things."  
>"Weird?" asked Bruce.<br>"You know like aliens and stuff," said Clark. "She's even got this wall where she likes to put up her theories and stuff."  
>"I have…something like that," said Bruce, "though I don't usually pay too much attention to stuff like urban-legends and…the only one I really 'hang out' with is a girl, Selina Kyle."<br>"Do you…like her?" asked Clark.  
>"I…guess," said Bruce.<br>Clark decided to leave it at that and the two boys were silent for a while and continued to watch the stars until something dark flew into the barn, soaring past the two boys.  
>"What was that?" asked Clark.<br>"I don't know," said Bruce.  
>Clark picked up a nearby flashlight and the two tried to find the figure until they saw a flapping form of darkness that passed through the light.<br>"There it is," said Bruce.  
>Clark focused on the figure and they saw what it was that startled them.<br>"It's just a bat," said Clark, sighing in relief.  
>"Yeah…just a bat," said Bruce.<p>

* * *

><p>The week seemed to fly by just as the bat did on that night and it was time for Bruce and Alfred to return home to Gotham. But during that week Bruce had covertly experimented on Clark by silently placing a nail on Clark's chair during dinner at one time and to his surprise Clark not only didn't feel the nail but when he rose it was completely flat. There was something odd and mysterious about Clark but Bruce, out of respect, didn't delve in further and decided to keep it secret, feeling as if that was the reason Martha Kent was so nervous about Clark playing with Bruce.<br>Perhaps one day he would try to investigate the mystery of Clark Kent and he felt that unlike the mystery surrounding the murder of his parents, Bruce would find something pure in the world. That Clark's mystery held an answer that would give Bruce something to look up to although because he knew, even at his age, that people could change he would find something about Clark's secret that would make him as fearful as he was hopeful and that he would have to be wary of that. But for now all he thought about on the way back to Gotham was that one week where he was out of the dark shadows of Wayne Manor and instead of being some lonely boy detective he was free to be a boy and perhaps he provided some freedom for Clark as well.  
>Bruce could somehow feel that Clark knew that he had discovered that odd thing about him and because Bruce never said anything about it Clark never said anything about it and the two just played without having to worry about secrets and lies. They could just be boys and he could feel that was something neither of them really had in a long time.<br>"I had a good time Alfred," said Bruce.  
>"I'm glad sir," said Alfred, "and perhaps we'll come back some day if you'd like."<br>"Maybe someday," said Bruce, "but we still have work to do."  
>"Of course," said Alfred, "though I hope you've realized that there can be more than just this so called work. You and young Clark seemed to get along quite swimmingly."<br>"He was pretty super," said Bruce.  
>"One might say you two were super-friends," said Alfred.<br>"I think that's pushing it a bit Alfred," laughed Bruce.

**Author's Note****: I couldn't get this idea out of my head, I doubt the show's going to show a young Bruce Wayne make friends with a young Clark Kent, but a fan can dream and I can't wait for **_**Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice**_**, which I have confidence will do well. Zach Snyder's a fan and he knows the source material so even if he gets a little carried away at least the guy's passionate and you have to respect that.  
>Anyway this was my first crossover and one-shot and I wanted to get it up before the next episode of <strong>_**Gotham**_** tomorrow. **


End file.
